Event brings families of missing persons togetherLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Twenty years after 6-year-old Morgan Nick disappeared from an Arkansas recreation field, her mother said Wednesday that she still struggles with not knowing where she is. Colleen Nick spoke to law enforcement officers and family members of missing persons as part of the fourth annual Never Forgotten event organized by the Arkansas attorney general's office. The event brings the families together to speak with law enforcement...

Federal judge: Wal-Mart violated state minimum wage lawsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Wal-Mart could be on the hook for more than $100 million in back pay after a federal judge ruled the company failed to pay California minimum wage to truck drivers for activities that included inspecting and washing their trucks, an attorney said Wednesday. The ruling came after the company argued that the drivers are paid for particular activities that include those tasks. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston sided with the ...

Identity fraud leads to woman being 'married' to anotherJONESBORO (AP) — Jonesboro police say identity fraud led to a woman being "married" to another woman in Pine Bluff. Officer Nathaniel Cole says the Jonesboro woman had tried to file her taxes in April, but that her return was denied because someone else had used her Social Security number to file a return. The Jonesboro Sun reported the woman then went through the IRS to refile a paper copy, received her refund and assumed everything was fine....

As waters recede, cleanup starts in soggy parts of ArkansasGARLAND CITY (AP) — With water receding after recent floods, cattle are being returned to pasture and recreation areas are reopening, but many Arkansas residents have a mess to clean up. "Some had 4 to 6 feet of water in their home," Pine Bluff Treasurer Greg Gustek said, describing his neighbors' misfortune. Water rose to within an inch of his garage. "We have neighbors pulling up carpet and taking drywall out. A lot of homes are ruined. They...

Former judge sentenced in mail fraud casePOCAHONTAS (AP) — A former Arkansas district judge convicted of drug charges has been sentenced in an unrelated mail fraud case involving American Indian artifacts. Bob Castleman, who was a judge in Pocahontas over a decade ago, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison and must pay nearly $16,800 in restitution. Castleman had claimed to an insurance company in 2012 that Native American arrowheads were stolen from his residence, but they were ...

Name of trooper involved in man's wounding releasedLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas State Police have released the name of the trooper involved in a shooting along Interstate 49 near Mountainburg. The agency said Josh Elmore, 27, has been a trooper for about a year. Elmore is on administrative leave with pay while authorities investigate Monday's shooting. Authorities say Elmore came upon a man walking along I-49 southbound. Elmore approached on foot and said the man became combative. According to ...

Bids opened only on 2 major highway projectsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Bids were opened this week only on two major state highway projects due to concerns over federal funding, according to officials with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. The agency last month pulled nine projects estimated at $120 million for the Tuesday bid-letting in anticipation of a slowdown in federal transportation money. In all, the department has suspended opening bids on 70 projects worth more than $...

Hot Springs cat shelter says it is at risk of closingHOT SPRINGS (AP) — A cat shelter says it has just over three months to raise $100,000 or the 150 cats that it hosts may be homeless. The Guardian Angels Cat Rescue and Adoption Shelter told the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record it will lose its lease Sept. 30 because its building has been sold to a major retailer and could become a "hot commodity." The shelter handles about 300 cat adoptions each year and also aids sick, injured or homeless cats. Th...

Little Rock man in critical condition after stabbingLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A Little Rock man is in critical condition after police say he was stabbed by his girlfriend. Little Rock media outlets report Ricky Mays, 56, was stabbed in the chest Monday. According to a Little Rock Police Department detective summary, officers responded to a call about a stabbing at The Cottages Apartments Monday night. Police said that witnesses told them Mays and his girlfriend had been arguing when she took his cellp...

Judge: Arkansas must recognize in-state same-sex marriagesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A judge ordered Arkansas officials on Tuesday to recognize more than 500 same-sex marriages performed in the state last year, a move that will let the couples enjoy a host of benefits such as filing taxes jointly and enrolling together in state health insurance plans. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen validated marriage licenses that were issued to same-sex couples after another judge struck down the state's gay m...

Justices to review Tyson Foods appeal over class-action suit WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court agreed Monday to weigh new limits on the ability of workers to band together to dispute pay and workplace issues. The justices said they will review a $5.8 million class-action judgment against Tyson Foods Inc. over the pay for more than 3,000 workers at its Storm Lake, Iowa, pork processing plant. The case could allow the high court to elaborate on its 2011 decision blocking a massive sex-discrimination cas...

Arkansas changing provider of standardized tests LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas will change its provider of standardized tests, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Monday, the first shake up from an ongoing review of whether to retain Common Core education standards. The state will terminate its agreement with Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers and instead contract with ACT and ACT Aspire for the 2015-16 school year, Hutchinson said. A team assembled by the governor...

Arkansas judge to rule soon on gay marriages from last year LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A judge said Monday he'll decide in the next two days whether Arkansas should recognize more than 500 same-sex marriages that were performed in the state last year, a move that would let the couples enjoy a host of benefits such as enrolling together on state health insurance plans. An attorney for two of the couples told Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen her clients have been deprived of their rights for mo...

Drug director resigns county Quorum Court seatFORT SMITH (AP) — Arkansas' new drug director has resigned from the Sebastian County Quorum Court. Denny Altes of Fort Smith says in a letter to County Judge David Hudson that his job as drug director will require more time than he anticipated. The letter is dated May 26 and says his resignation is effective June 1. Hudson said he received the letter on Wednesday. Altes is a former state representative and state senator who was elected to the ...

Independence County receives $1.25 million economic grantBATESVILLE (AP) — The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration has announced a $1.25 million grant to Independence County to be used for infrastructure improvements near a poultry feed mill. The grant was announced Saturday in Batesville by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, U.S. Sen. John Boozman and U.S. Rep Rick Crawford. The funding will be used for infrastructure such as an access road and a rail spur near Ozark Mountain Poultr...

Evacuation lifted for town as Red River recedesGARLAND CITY (AP) — Authorities allowed 242 residents of a southwestern Arkansas town to return to their homes after the swollen Red River began to recede and a levee was determined to be safe. Miller County Emergency Management Director Larry Pritchett said Saturday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspected the levee Friday afternoon and found it sound. The evacuation order for the Garland City homes was issued about 12:30 a.m. Friday a...

Beware of scams in aftermath of severe weatherapexScam artists often use severe weather as an opening for theft and fraud. Arkansas officials urge the state’s residents to be on guard against potential scams in the aftermath of recent storms and flooding. Common scams include workers showing up uninvited and offering to clean up debris or make repairs to homes or other property. The con artists will ask for payment before doing the work, and once they receive payment, they leave and never com...

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Arkansas Department of Emergency ManagementThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Treasurer added to lawsuit by fired ex-employeeLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Treasurer Dennis Milligan has been added to a defamation lawsuit filed by a former treasurer's office employee against Milligan's chief of staff. The attorney for David Singer added Milligan on Friday to the lawsuit against Jim Harris, who fired Singer as outreach manager for the office. The lawsuit alleges Harris published false statements about Singer's mental health to co-workers, to Milligan and to the media. At...

Tiny town evacuated as Red River risesGARLAND CITY (AP) — Emergency officials told the 242 residents of Garland City in southwestern Arkansas to stay away from their homes Friday because floodwaters are threatening to undermine a levee along the Red River. About 75 miles south of there, some homes and businesses are flooding in Shreveport, Louisiana, and officials are preparing for the problems to get worse. Gov. Bobby Jindal said during a briefing Friday in Shreveport that the Na...

New campaign launched to find missing Morgan NickLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A new billboard campaign has been launched in an effort to find an Arkansas girl who's been missing for 20 years. The campaign was announced Friday at a news conference attended by the girl's mother — Colleen Nick — and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. The billboards will be placed in the Fort Smith and Alma areas and in northwestern Arkansas and in Little Rock and show an age-progressed picture of Morgan Nick in an effort to s...